GiGi’s Playhouse Tutoring: The Process and Rewards

Guest post by Yamna Bukhari

One of the most priceless services that GiGi’s Playhouse offers are its speech, math, and literacy tutoring programs. The 1:1 in-person tutoring services are tailored to each participant’s unique academic goals and needs. Thanks to so many wonderful volunteers, GiGi’s is able to provide tutoring at no cost to participants and their families!

The Process to Become a Tutor

I would like to briefly share my experience as a GiGi’s Literacy Tutor to answer any questions that prospective volunteers may have. I’ve been tutoring with GiGi’s for over three sessions, and let me just say, this decision was one the best I have ever made! The process for signing up via a virtual form was brief, and so was the standard background check. The onboarding process involved a virtual orientation along with a self-guided training session that took only few hours to complete. When I was ready to be paired with a student, GiGi’s took into account my availability as well as my preference to tutor online.

What Tutoring Sessions Look Like

Each tutoring session lasts from 10 – 12 weeks and we meet for 45 – 60 minutes/week. Tutors get to choose the number of students they would like to work with per session. During my first session, I started with one student, and now I tutor three. The GiGi’s curriculum guides are great for informing tutors of the targets for each session so I recommend following those closely during lesson planning. Preparation usually only takes 15-20 minutes with the resources and guidance available. After each session, tutors are asked to log their time as hours of service to the community. With the addition of a virtual option to GiGi’s programming, I was able to continue tutoring even when I moved out of state for college.

The Rewards of Tutoring

Being a tutor for GiGi’s is a pleasure because at the start and end of each session I am always greeted with a big smile from my students. Witnessing my students work through challenges and achieve their goals is truly rewarding because I know I am an integral part of their academic journey. The trust my students and their families have in me drives me to improve my techniques and approaches with every session. The participants and families have been so kind and patient. They understand that there is a learning curve for tutors, too. Tutoring for GiGi’s has been one of the most memorable experiences in my life!

Ready to Jump In?

Learn more about volunteer opportunities at GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit by heading over to the volunteer page on our website. You can sign up to be a literacy or math tutor, or there are plenty of other ways to get involved. Our  next in-person volunteer orientation is July 30th from 10 – 11am.

We hope you will join our team as a tutor in the fall. We can’t wait to see the talent you will bring and the impact you will have on the lives of individuals with Down syndrome!

About the Author:

Hi! I’m Yamna Bukhari from Chicago, Illinois, and I am a volunteer for GiGi’s Playhouse. I am a student at Saint Louis University studying Health Sciences and Biology on the Pre-Medicine track. When I have free time on my hands, some of the things I like to do are reading, painting, and baking. As a high school student, I would tutor my peers and underclassmen so when I heard from a family friend about the tutoring program at GiGi’s, I was excited to try it out! I quickly found myself loving this role because of the wonderful participants and their families.